UK LAN Gaming Hits the Next Level

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Omega Sektor, the UK's biggest gaming centre, opens its doors and we head to Birmingham to check it out.

By Rob Burman

Omega Sektor - the UK's largest dedicated gaming venue, featuring more than 400 top-spec PCs and next-gen consoles - opened its doors to the public this week and sales and marketing director Adrian Le Mans reckons it will "change the way that people play games in the UK".

At a glitzy launch ceremony last night, Le Mans suggested Omega Sektor "takes gaming to a new cultural level in this country", offering the next evolution in multiplayer gaming.

Spread across two floors, the venue is more a posh nightclub than your typical internet café. In total, it covers more than 22,000 sq ft, with 100+ games playable on a range of PCs and next generation consoles. Plus, there are three dedicated publisher areas featuring titles from THQ, Square Enix and Activision as well as a family-friendly zone that aims to encourage children and adults to play together.

Speaking to IGN during the launch, Le Mans noted that the Omega Sektor team had scoured the country to find a venue but Birmingham was the perfect place thanks to a diverse community, featuring plenty of games players. It's actually the 25th centre that's opened across the world and is the biggest so far. However, Le Mans is still hungry for even more high-tech gaming arenas.

"We are looking to open 12 more," he said, "and some of those are going to be in the UK. We're also hoping to open some in Europe and even America over the next year. However, each one will be different and even if you've been in one Omega Sektor you'll still get that 'wow' factor when you visit another because they're all unique."

While LAN gaming still remains popular among PC owners, we wondered whether Le Mans was worried that Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network would potentially take some custom away from Omega Sektor.

"I think that Xbox Live is great for multiplayer games but ultimately you're just one person sitting in your bedroom and playing against someone else that you can't even see. Here at Omega Sektor, it's a far more personal and social experience because you can see who you're playing against and even have a chat with them about games after you've finished playing," explained Le Mans.

He also emphasised that the venue isn't just about people playing games, it's also about visitors spectating during matches. "We're going to be organising special events, like hooking the players up to heart rate machines so that spectators can see how their pulse increases during intense matches. We want to make sure this a centre that celebrates the whole experience of gaming - not just playing them. This is all something you don't get when you're just playing at home."

Part of Omega Sektor's potential success lies in the top-of-the-range gaming PCs supplied by Intel. We also grabbed a moment with Graham Palmer, director of Intel UK and Ireland, to get his take on the centre. "It's just brilliant and the work everyone has done to get it up and running -and looking so fantastic - is great," he enthused.

"I think that this will help people to see that it's not just home consoles that are great for casual gaming and that PCs can play their role too and can match anything else available on the market."

Omega Sektor is open now in Birmingham's Corporation Street. It's just a short walk from the Bull Ring or New Street train station and more details can be found at Omega Sektor's offical site.

If you fancy checking out Omega Sektor, pop yourself along either today (until 7pm), tomorrow or Sunday for a free three hour trial.